It seems even more unlikely in a tiny seaside village on the edge of a rainforest.

But buyers in a new multifamily development in Sooke on the southwest coast of Vancouver Island can look forward to a daily outdoor swim, even in January, without freezing.

"The pool was a bit of a heartburn for a while, but it was just deemed to bring extra life into the outdoors and on the ocean, so the expense seemed to be justified," says Gerry Lamont, one of the principals in Lamont Land Inc., the developer of Heron View Villas.

Not only will residents in the Heron View Villas have a fiveby-15-metre pool in which to keep in shape, they also have a tennis court, fitness centre, hot pool, lounge and moorage for boats.

What's most unusual is not the long list of amenities, but the fact they were the first to go in. "It is unusual .. sometimes you have to wait until you get 50-per-cent sales to get your amenities in," says Lamont from the company's head office in Calgary.

The problem with waiting, of course, is that buyers could live in a place for years before getting everything they were promised.

And there's a downside for the developer as well, says Lamont.

"Sometimes when you promise and don't deliver, people just refuse to believe or buy. So because it was financially available, it was deemed to be the proper thing to do because the land was already paid for and it was just a matter of presenting it properly, and it helps you get a better sale price in the end."

Many of the 22 homes in the first phase at Heron View Villas have sold, suggesting that buyers do indeed like the fact that they can move in and immediately take advantage of everything the four-hectare site has to offer.

Lamont cites the early inclusion of the amenities as an example of how his company does things differently. According to the company's website: "Every decision we make in developing a new community is carefully considered from the end user's perspective - a homeowner."

The company specializes in building master-planned communities, typically around 40 hectares.

Heron View Villas is small by comparison, as is the final number of homes that will be built: 91.

Lamont Land has numerous projects on the go in B.C. and Alberta, and often partners with local landowners. In the case of Heron View Villas, it partnered with Angus Sutherland of Silver Creek Development, based in White Rock.

"It's just a beautiful site, how could we not have a resort style atmosphere?" he asks, referring to all the amenities.

He adds that the pool is equipped with larger-thanusual boilers to provide additional heating capacity in winter months.

Despite the luxurious extras, Sutherland believes the strata fees (an average of $216 per month) are reasonable and says the cost of the amenities was not huge. Lamont concurs: "This (pool) is not indoor. Indoor pools are a huge maintenance problem and costly problem, you know ... there's a big difference in how much it actually costs to use and maintain that pool ... they are expensive, but in this case they're well positioned and they're well built so they're not demanding a lot of attention that would be unnecessary, that's for sure."

The company appears to be reaching its target market. Realtor Cindy Robbeson of ReMax Camosun in Victoria says she's had buyers from Alberta, the Kootenays, the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island, itself.

Some are young retirees, while others still work. Most are empty nesters.

She says they're drawn to the recreational lifestyle of Heron View Villas and the small-town feel of Sooke with its population of about 10,000.

"They don't want to be in the hustle and bustle of the city, yet only 20 to 25 minutes away, you're into big box stores if one needs it."

Victoria is about half an hour's drive from Sooke and Robbeson likes to compare the two centres - Victoria and Sooke - with other places where there's a major city and a seaside village a short distance away, something like Boston and Cape Cod.

"Sooke is really- if people would wrap their head around it - it's really like driving into Boston and going to the outskirts of Boston to a seaside community, and that's what it is, it's a seaside community."

Locals might laugh at the comparison of Sooke with Cape Cod - there's a huge difference in property values, for one thing - but the prices in Sooke are a good reason to take it seriously.

The two-storey duplexes and fourplexes at Heron View Villas begin at $439,900 and go up to $849,900, including taxes.

Lamont says Sooke is "very affordable for what you get," about half the price you would pay for something comparable in Victoria.

The villas at Heron View are all three-bedroom units with two and a half bathrooms.

They range from 1,900 to 2,900 square feet.

Each unit has a two-car garage or a one-car garage and carport.

Granite countertops and hardwood flooring are de rigueur nowadays and you'll find these at Heron View, too.

Some of the units have waterfront views and for those that don't, the ocean isn't far away. Neither is the pool.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

PROJECT: The Heron View Villas. It consists of 91 units (duplexes and fourplexes), some fronting the ocean. The first phase of 22 homes is complete. Exteriors are fire-rated according to the building code and maintenancefree, made of concrete siding and stone. All homes come with a double garage or a single garage and carport.

LOCATION: On the ocean in Sooke, on Vancouver Island PRICES: $439,900 to $849,900 including taxes. Monthly strata (condo) fees average 12 cents per square foot, and include an outdoor heated pool, hot tub, tennis court, fitness room and owners' lounge. All building insurance and maintenance, property taxes, landscaping and common lighting are included in these fees.

DEVELOPER/ BUILDER: Lamont Land Inc.

INFORMATION: Cindy Robbeson of ReMax at 1-800-663-2121, or visit www.heronview.ca

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